Signaling and passenger-carrying device for vessels.



A. GROSSIOH.

SIGNALING AND PASSENGER CARRYING DEVICE FOR VESSE APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912. RENEWED MAR. 17, 1913. I..l75,46.

Patented Oct. 21, 2.913.

2 S HEETS SHEET 1.

A. GROSSIGH.

SIGNALING AND PASSENGER CARRYING DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23, 1912. RENEWED MAR. 17 1913 Patented 0st. 21

2 SHEBTS'-SHEET 2.

MZZZ 5 conveyance a which is by preference circular in cross-section and cone-shaped at top and bottom, so as to pass upward and downward through. the water with as little friction and resistance as possible. The cone-shaped bottom portion h is adaped to fit snugly into a similarly tapered concave or recessed coni cal portion 0 of t 1e walls or hatch-way or" an air tight room or conipartment- (Z of a vessel 6 which may be a steam. ship, sailing vessel or other form o". craft or vessel. The hermetically sealed or air tight compartment d may be one of a series of similar compartments, and the buoy and its mechanism and operating parts and the means for operating the same may also be one of a series oi": similar devices.

The tapered wall portion 0 forms a conical. socket below the level of the deck, and

this socket is lined with suitable material such as rubber cloth g adapted to prevent the admission of water and the escape of air between the bottom of the buoy and the socket Walls 0. 'lhe wall portions or socket c and the tapered or conical bottom or side walls 6 of the buoy are provided with hottonigdoors, and means for securing the doors removably in position, and with means for securing the buoy removably in position in the socket or tapered wall portion of the vessel, the construction and arrangement. of all of: which may be vs led, and only one form of which is here shown and described, the same being simple and ellicient and being here described and illustrated inrletah not a limitation or designation the scope oi the invention but to enable the invention. to be understood by explaining one mode and what is believed to be the best mode contemplated by applicant in which to apply the principle of his invention in such a manner to distinguish the invention from others without limiting the invention otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but with a view to using and enabling others to understand and us {the invention as embodied in the device hredescribed and the same or any partthereof to b e'used in any such modified form orwith such equivalents as may be suggested by this disclosure and without limiting applicant to the precise form or construction described.

An inner fial'igc 7a is secured to the inner side of the conical wall portion 0 of the vessel, and the tapered side or bottom walls 5 of the buoy are provided with a series of inclined sockets i in which are slidably mounted securing bolts 7; which are adapted tobe pressed outward into securing engagement with the flange it by means. of compressible springs Z one end of each of which springs engages a stationary support such as the brace m of the socket, and the other end of which eng es a. laterally projecting pin or bossroif, on t ire corresponding bolt, said pin being; slidably mounted in a slot in the soclret member and extending through the latter into engagement with the spring.

In order to provide means for withdrawing the bolts 7; from engagement with the securing flange .72. or equivalent bolt-engaging: detcnt or member, a flexible element such as a cord or wire rope 0 is secured at one end to each bolt, respectively, and at the other end to a rotary element such the iun-ir ht hollow shaft 79 by means or a'connecting and winding element or ring Q-- there being one member 0 for each bolt. Each cord or wire rope 0 is mounted upon idler rolls or anti-friction pulleys r and a, which pulleys are journaled in suitable bearings t and u, the bearings t torining supports for the upper pulleys, and the beam lugs a "forming supports for the lower pulleys, and the ropes or cables being wound or mounted to extend inside of the lower pulleys and over the upper pulleys, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the rotation of the shaft [1 will wind the cords or cables in'one direc tion and thereby draw the bolts out of engagremcnt with the flange portion 7a of the socket c, and the releasing of the shaft will permit the bolts t6 be pressed out by the springs Z into securing engagement with the flange h or its equivalent.

The hollow shaft 79 is journaled in suitable bearings. in. a supporting frame or spider having or consisting of converging bracket arms 21 which support the upper end of the shaft, and lower converging frame portions or arms w beneath the arms o anl forming a support for the shaft below the point oi connection between the shaft and the cords or cables 0, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4-. The upper end of the shaft is shouldered to fit a Wrench or operating lever 9 for turning the shaft from the inside of the buoy, and the lower end is similarly squared or shouldered at 2-, so as to lit a similar wrench or operating lever, for turning the shaft from a position outside of the buoy when desired-for instance, when the buoy is to be released and sent up without an oceupant, for the purpose of signaling or for any desired purpose, such as the carrying of goods or articles from the vessel after the latter'has sunk. The upper end of the hollow shaft 7) is provided with a toothed ratchet 3 fixed thereto, and a pawl 4 is mounted pivotally in position to engage the teeth of the ratchet against which the pawl is yielding'ly pressed by a spring 5, shown in l 1g. at, in broken lines. The pawl is pivotally mounted on the under side of a frame portion or bracket arm o, as shown in Fig.

An inner frame or casing portion 5, on

the inside of the buoy, forms a support for the bracket or frame comprising the arms cand c0, and a floor 01' grating 7 is provided, for supporting the occupants or con gift.

numeral indicates the ordinary known" ceiving instrument of a wireless telegraph apparatus--the wires 43 being connected with the necessary wires and instruments for completing the required electric circuit and for making the necessary connections with the interior instrument or wireless apparatus either on the inside of the buoy, as indicated in Fig. 3, wherein the reference numeral l-i indicates the entire transmittenopcrating and key mechanism and interior wireless sending and receiving apparatus, or on the inside of the coinpartment (Z, as indicated in Fig. 2, wherein the form of interior sending and receiving apparatus of a wireless telegraph system, station, or apparatus; The outer transmitter 426 (see Figs. 1 and 2) is also supported by the pole 40, and connected, by suitable wires for forming the necessary electric circuit, with either or both of the interior apparatus 4-1, and 45. The outer transmitter 46, and outer receiver apparatus 43 are operatively connected with the interior apparatus 44 and 45, or with either, as desired, by means of wires A7 which extend along the inside of the cable 27, and are insulated from the outer metallic parts of the latter by the insulating material 39 cm already suggested. The entire wireless apparatus may be of any ordinary known or desired form known to those skilled in the art, and it is therefore not deemed necessary or desirable todescribe or illustrate the same further or in detail herein.

A lamp 48, which may be of any desired suitable form of lamp, is mounted in the upper portion of the buoy or conveyance a between glass covered windows or openings 49in the upper wall portions or easing of the buoy, and a rotary shutter 50, which may be of any desired or known :"orm oi": rotary signaling shutter, is mounted in pesition to extend between the lamp and the glass covered openings or windows, e9, so as to interrupt the rays of light passing from the lamp through the latter, for the purpose of sending out signals.

From the foregoing it will be seenv that means is provided whereby passengers or other occupants or articles may be conveyed from a sunken vessel. to the surface oi? the water with safety, thereby enabling lives to be savetl';. and that means is also provided whereby the buoy may be used for sending signals without sending occupants therein, when desired, and that signals may be sent directly lirdm the interior of the buoy, and

without using instruments in the interior of the vessel, when desired, or when necessity requires.

1. In an apparatusof the class described, thecombination of a vessel having an airtight compartment and having a recess in the wall or such compartment forming an opening communicating with the interior of the compartment, a door for said opening, means for reinovably securing said door in closed position, a buoy movable into and out of engagement with the recessed wall portion of such compartment andcomprising in its construction a lower casing portion provided with an opening adapted to communicate with the opening of the airtight compartment oi? the vessel when the buoy is in engagement with the recessed portion of the latter, a door for said opening in the buoy, an upwardly projecting flange on said door, threaded rods suspended on the inside of the buoy and in supporting engagement with said door for holding the latter in closed position, threaded securing means connected with the interior of the buoy and in threaded ei'igagement with said rods and forming supports for the latter, and a flexible element connected with the vessel and with the buoy respectively, for lowering and permitting the upward movement of the buoy with respect to the vessel.

2. in an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vessel. having an airtight compartment and having a conical recess in the exterior wall of such compartment forming an opening communicating with the interior of the compartment, a door for aid opening, a buoy comprising in its construction a lower conical casing portion movable into and out of engagement with the recessed wall portion of the vessel com-- partmcnt, and having an opening in said lower casing portion of the buoy, a door for said opening in the buoy, said door having a conical surface portion adapted to extend into said conical recess in the exterior wall of said compartment, means for removably securing said door in closed position, means for removably securing the conical casing portion or the buoy in the recessed wall portion of. the vessel, a flexible element connected with the buoy and extending into and connected with the, vessel, and winding mechanism connected with the flexible ele ment, for winding and unwinding the latter, to lower and permit the upwar movement of the buoy.

3. in an apparatus of the class described, the combination oi a buoy comprising an upper casing portion and a lower conical casing portion forming an air-tight com partment, a vessel having a compartment formed therein, a recessed wall portion providod with an opening communicating with the interior of such. compartment, adapted to receive the lower conical casing portion of the buoy, a door for said opening, a downwardly and inwardly projecting flange in the recessed wall portion, bolts slidably mounted in the conical casing portion of the buoy and movable into and out of engagev. fiangv, 11193113 for moving; the casing the Kimmy and sziaptea? in 1 t 31 l (i min filmgercngagulg pnsltwm onward laiemily L1 A 111 1; means for dm'wmg H10 001%.? mward to engagement. w f'h 711 sseP. 001 M3 ii leasx w "iiion ml a flexible clemenb c n-- POFMOIH of he e 1]]. of the comp 5 mm, the 0110)] and. wlth the vessm? 1'01 nae/m opera;

'zcuring the buoy in place. said bolfs and Yelp (K'YlM'WCil-fid v i ,7 NW1 1 s: on the ir. die of 1'; 1e a ngai-atus 0f the class descl'ibed buoy, a1 flexible 9105112215 numcted with 02.011 whom a VGSSEl having air-tight bolt, a shaft jomfnnhad i4 slzi 'alflu 300mb" ms forming an air-tight compmrton the inside of ah-a no mam having a. cone-simped recess nesting Said shaft wi Wall of such cmnpartn'lent, 2L n1e11.'i"s,men. :s for rot mtixom and of such cone-shaped and. unwind the fiemf .1111 portion 11 buoy Elm Eng a cone-- 0211 partialmomma '11 0 and out wne-simpe f such compm in flze luve'er end 1' 1e .aion of the hue-y, a door H '10 11110)], mechanism (he buoy for scsLu'in -t .V and 0f the: Emmy 51?. (11m tiara, SQUUZHlg bolts slidahiymountcd in 'ahe V 101 011 mam;

said f3. 1311 6 $112.

mot-ad wiil the hwy and. meme .fm w mnwinding the flexible claimant pen the uscemof the buoy. 

